The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has
cited Quality Blow Molding, Inc. for five safety and health violations, including two willful
violations, two repeat violations, and one other than serious violation. They come in response to
an inspection of a worksite in Elyria, OH in March of 2015. This inspection was initiated after an
employee was injured while attempting to clear a jam in a plastic molding machine; the
employee was on the first day at work and the injuries led to the loss of four fingers. The
citations are for violations relating to machine guarding and lockout tagout. These violations
carry proposed penalties of $172,270.
“A preventable and unforgivable injury has changed this young man’s life,” said Kimberly
Nelson, OSHA’s area director in Toledo. “For the second time in two years, Quality Blow
Molding intentionally and willfully disregarded OSHA standards and requirements for machine
safety.”
This is an example of an employee being injured due to a lack of appropriate machine guarding
and a lack of appropriate training for new employees. To show how serious OSHA takes
violations such as these, the company was also placed in the Sever Violator Enforcement
Program. This shows that every company needs to ensure it has a well-executed training program
and updated policies and procedures regarding machine guarding.
If you have any questions about updating or establishing your occupational safety and health
policies and procedures, please contact us. If you have anything to add about this inspection,
please leave a comment.
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